


Tell me a Story, Cas

by Maddie_Jae



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 17:10:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11902317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maddie_Jae/pseuds/Maddie_Jae
Summary: A conversation in Dean's room in the bunker that may change the course of our favorite OTP's relationship.





	Tell me a Story, Cas

“Tell me a story, Cas.”  Dean said softly after the cassette played it’s last song and Dean’s room fell silent.  

“What story would you like to hear?”  Castiel was lying on his back on top of Dean’s comforter.  Dean was sat to his right, leaning against a pillow and the headboard, green eyes especially thoughtful.

Dean didn’t look away from his own feet while he said; “Tell me about when we met.”

Castiel gazed over the freckles on Dean’s arm for a short time before he spoke.  “Well,”  he began in a deep bass, “I never told you this, but you were actually assigned to me a few weeks before your death.”

Dean didn’t react to this bit of news except to push his eyebrows a little closer together in a furrow.

“At first it was just surveillance.  I kept an eye on you from heaven, but I knew I may soon need to walk the earth, so I contacted Jimmy to be my vessel a few days preceding your death.”

“I  _ prayed  _ during that time.”  Dean interrupted accusingly, “I  _ begged _  for help, and-”

“As did Sam.”  Castiel said calmly, meeting Dean’s angry look unflinchingly.  “But it’s not our place to fight off the hellhounds for any random man whose soul is due for collection.  You agreed to the deal, Dean, and though I didn’t like it, I watched your soul get dragged down.”

“From heaven.”  Dean said, giving a scorching look to the ceiling.  “You watched me get my ass dragged to the pits of hell from a cushy cloud in heaven.”

Castiel hesitated.  “If this is too upsetting for you, I can play the next cassette.”

_ Sigh.   _ “No, keep going.”

“Okay.”  Castiel paused to collect his thoughts before continuing.  “It was harder to keep an eye on you once you were in the pit.  Prayers went through, but-”

“Angels hear the prayers of the damned?”  Dean interrupted again.

“Not usually, but for some reason, whether I was just attuned to you already or because you were assigned to me, your prayers got through to me.”  Castiel paused and looked up at Dean.  The green-eyed man was looking intently at the wall to his right, hiding his face from the angel beside him.

“I wanted to help you, Dean.”  Castiel said softly, lightly touching Dean’s fingers with his own.  “I pled your case several times before I found out you were off the racks and the first seal had been broken.  The other angels didn’t hear you, and I now see why the prayers of the damned are blocked from us.  It broke me to listen and be unable to help you.”

Dean squeezed Castiel’s fingers and tried to be discreet wiping a tear from his face as he said, “Go on, then.”

“I didn’t realize, at first, when you got off the racks.  Your prayers were just as desperate and painful, but after a few hours, which is several days in hell, I realized.  Once again I pled your case to the court and they gave me their blessing to launch an assault on hell.

“They gave me triple the force my garrison usually had, and I lead my brothers and sisters down.”  Castiel paused, saddened by the memories.  “It was horrible; it took us weeks to get to you, and every moment was spent in furious combat that drained our will and decimated our numbers.

“But I found you.”  Castiel looked up at Dean, who only had eyes for his own feet, the angel appreciating the man before him with a small smile on his lips.  “When I first touched you, your soul was a dark and dirty gray, but as we ascended, I poured as much love and peace as I could into you.  Your soul’s color lightened and it turned not just the usual blue, but blue and green with swirls of purple.”  

Dean finally met the angel’s eyes as he said, “I had never seen a soul so beautiful.”  Castiel gave Dean’s fingers a squeeze, aware that any comment of Dean’s ‘beautiful soul’ would make the man uncomfortable, but it needed to be said.

“I put you in your body and commanded the soil above you to let you pass, then left to claim my vessel.  When I found you in the little gas station I tried to tell you who I was and what had happened, but you cowered at my voice.  I didn’t understand that you weren’t hearing me properly, I thought you were just overwhelmed, so I left you to return to heaven and receive new orders.

“When I found you again in the hotel, I was sure I had done some irreparable damage to you while pulling you out of the pit, but I kept my doubts to myself and worked with my brothers and sisters in arms until you and Bobby summoned me.  I fought the summoning for a while.  I’d never been personally summoned by name before and it wasn’t what I was expecting.  

“And then,”  Castiel exclaimed as he sat up in the bed and faced Dean.  “You shot me with rock salt, and you  _ stabbed  _ me.  I thought about ending you right there.”  

Dean chuckled, turning his head to look at the angel, their fingers still barely touching.

“Thank you for not smiting me, Cas.”

Castiel looked deep into Dean’s eyes, their color complementing the soul behind them nicely.  

“You should get some sleep.”  Castiel said after several moments, moving his hand away from Dean’s and preparing to leave.

“Wait,” Dean said, grabbing Castiel’s hand again.  “I have a question.  Why did my soul change colors?  Was it because it took in part of your soul, or?”

“No, what?  No, Dean, I don’t have a soul, remember?  I have grace instead, and grace isn’t green or purple.  Angels can pour feelings into souls to keep them happy or healthy or whatever you want to call it, but doing that doesn’t change the soul.  I don’t know why your soul is different, and I don’t know if it’s been like that all your life or just since I took hold of it, but trust me when I say it’s incredible to see a soul so unique.”

Castiel smiled at the not-quite-sure-if-I-believe-that-explanation look on Dean’s face.

“It doesn’t make much of a difference to me.”  The angel said.  “I know what I see when I look at you, maybe someday you’ll see that, too.”

“Tell me one more thing.”  Dean said, grasping Castiel’s hand again as the angel started to move towards the door.

“Anything, Dean.”

Dean dry swallowed and saw Castiel looking at his lips, which made him hesitate before he blurted out; “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

Castiel raised his eyebrows, looking at Dean with something of a shocked expression.  Dean could clearly see when the angel thought ‘fuck it’ before he opened his mouth and said with complete confidence; “I was just wondering if I loved you then, or if that came later.”

Whatever Dean had been expecting, it wasn’t that.  Castiel gave his human a small smile before turning to leave again.  He got all the way across the room and had a hand on the door before Dean was able to find his voice.

“Castiel, wait.”  The angel turned, hand still on the doorknob.  “You could stay.”

“You need to sleep, Dean.  You look exhausted.”

“You could still stay.  You always used to watch over me.”

A breath, and then, “Would you like that?”

“I think I would.”


End file.
